Islamic Jihad may order imprisoned members to start hunger strikes

Julie Wiener

(JTA) — Islamic Jihad is considering ordering all its members who are imprisoned in Israel to go on hunger strikes.

The Palestinian terrorist group is considering the move as a show of solidarity with Mohammad Allaan, a Palestinian attorney who has been accused of being an Islamic Jihad member, Israel’s Channel 10 reported.

Allaan began a hunger strike two months ago to protest his administrative detention. He has been held by Israel without charges since November.

Waking from a medically induced coma on Tuesday, Allaan said he would resume his hunger strike if his case is not resolved within 24 hours. While in the coma for several days, Allaan received water and salts intravenously, and was connected to a respirator.

Allaan “declared in front of his doctors that if there is not any solution to his case within 24 hours, he will ask for all treatment to stop and will stop drinking water,” the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club said in a statement, according to the Times of Israel.

On Monday, Israel said it would free Allaan if he agreed to leave the country for four years, but his lawyer rejected the offer.

His case spurred Israeli lawmakers to pass a law last month legalizing the force-feeding of prisoners. The Israeli Medical Association has announced that it plans to challenge the law in the Supreme Court and has urged physicians not to comply with it.

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